Softball Drops Final Two Games Of Season

Jessica Darrow threw 5 1-3 innings and allowed just two hits and one run in the second game of a conference doubleheader against Susquehanna.

Susquehanna 4, Juniata 0
Susquehanna 3, Juniata 0

Huntingdon, Pa. ? After winning a pair of tight conference games behind a pair of strong pitching performances this past Thursday, the Juniata College softball team found itself on the opposite end of stellar pitching efforts, including a perfect game as the Eagles dropped two game to Susquehanna University in its season finale. Juniata dropped game one 4-0 and fell 3-0 in game two. The Eagles finish the season with a 15-17-1 record and a 5-9 mark in conference play. Susquehanna ends its campaign with a 17-15 record and a 4-10 conference mark.

Game one belonged to Susquehanna Heather Litzebauer who tossed a perfect game to propel the Crusaders to the 4-0 win. She faced the minimum of 21 batters and struck out nine in capturing her second win of the year.

Juniata starter Renae Hobbs (Mount Union/Mount Union) was solid for Juniata as she went 5 1-3 innings and allowed four runs on three hits. One of the runs was unearned.

The Crusaders gave Litzebauer all the support she would need with one run in the top of the second. Kristin Boccafola smacked an RBI single that put the visitors in front for good. They then added two runs in the third as an RBI single from Kerri Brugger delivered Litzebauer with the second run. Brugger added to the lead as she scored from third on a passed ball.

Susquehanna capped its scoring when Boccafola opened the sixth with a double, and then came home on a single from Megan McCurley.

The Eagles mounted more of an offensive threat in game two, but it was still not enough as the Blue and Gold were held to two hits and no runs in the 3-0 set-back.

Juniata?s best threat came in the fifth as Allison D?Ambrosia (State College/Boalsburg) drew a one-out walk, and then Abby Sener (Donegal/Marietta) reached on an error and stole second to give Juniata runners at second and third with two outs. But Susquehanna starter Shannon Nagy retired the final batter to get out of the jam.

Nagy went all seven innings for Susquehanna, no runs and two hits to claim her fourth win of the year.

Eagle starter Jessica Darrow (Wellsboro/Wellsboro) matched Nagy with five scoreless frames, before the visitors pushed a run across in the sixth. The Crusaders added two insurance runs in the seventh, one off Darrow and one off Lizzie Bartosik (Penn/Granger, In.). Darrow went 5 1-3 innings and allowed one run on just two hits while striking out one.

D?Ambrosia and Jen Piston (Central Bucks East/Jamison) each had a hit apiece for Juniata.

Juniata graduates just one player from a team that finished in fifth place in the Commonwealth Conference, just one spot out of a postseason berth.